Mobile learning is revolutionizing the way that we learn. If you’re thinking of using your existing eLearning content and delivering it to your learners as mLearning it’s unlikely to be effective. eLearning and mLearning position the learner in completely different learning environments.   This transition from stationary to portable devices has redefined the learning environment. One is sitting comfortably with a laptop or desktop computer and keyboard in front of them ready to learn. The other may be sitting on a bus with 15 minutes until they reach their destination. How has this change in environment affected learner engagement?   Well, for one thing, learners may be more distracted. They no longer have to sit at their computer, they can now complete their courses while on the go. In order to hold your learner’s attention you need to devise a mobile learning strategy to ensure your courses are keeping learners digitally engaged instead of digitally distracted.   Devising a mobile learning strategy When it comes to creating engaging mobile learning content it is vital that you identify your audience. Who are you learners? What do they know already? What do they need to know? Where and when will they access the course? In fact, these questions should be addressed irrespective of the device that will be used to access your course content. You can then use the answers to these questions to form the basis of your mobile learning strategy.   When creating courses for mobile learning take the approach that these courses will be designed to complement your desktop learning courses, not replace them. Don’t force mobile learning, instead give your learners the option to choose their preferred platform by providing them with content for desktop, tablet and mobile devices.   Keep it simple Reading text content on a mobile screen can be challenging at the best of times, especially if you need to retain the information being covered in the text. If possible go easy on text-based course content and if you do include it ensure the text font and size is mobile friendly and easy to read. Where possible try to use alternative content to text, can you present the same message in image, audio or video format? Using alternative content formats to text-based makes it easier for learners to engage.   It’s also important to ensure the content is thumb friendly and easy to navigate through by using large buttons. If you in doubt test your courses with a control group, get their feedback and use this insight to improve the layout and structure of your mobile courses.   When to use mobile learning You could decide that you’re only going to offer refresher or knowledge update courses for previously learned skills in your mobile courses suite. Or just-in-time learning in the form of bite-size courses that the learner can access and complete while on-the-job. Alternatively you may chose to incorporate mobile learning into the instructor led training environment using short mobile courses that feature video or audio learning content.   Each of these scenarios requires simple content that avoids overloading the learner with information. Stay focused on the specific learning outcome or objective in order to ensure your course content is engaging.   You can measure and track the effectiveness of your courses by including a short quiz or knowledge check at the end. This will provide your learners with real-time feedback on their own performance while allowing you to identify elements of the course that require improvement.   What’s next? Following on from the recent launch of our iOS app for mobile we’ll be launching an iOS app for iPad in the next couple of weeks. Subscribe to our blog to receive all of our latest news, eLearning tips and tricks. The post How to create engaging mobile learning courses appeared first on LearnUpon.

About the role The Quality Assurance Tester will be responsible for creating an end-to-end test plans that target testing of the LearnUpon web application. A typical day involves working closely with the development team to document new features while writing and executing test plans for these features. The candidate will receive intensive training on LearnUpon’s product suite to get a core understanding of the application and its features. We’re looking for people who love to win, have strong integrity and perfectionism traits backed up by great communication skills.   Specifically, the role will involve: Documenting test scripts for LearnUpon’s features. Working closely with our development team to manage new features and test requirements. Management of release schedules, testing and bug-tracking with the development team. Learn the full range of LearnUpon technology and services and identifying core testing needs, as releases are prepared. Collaborating with colleagues, right across the organisation, to support the sales process. Suggesting product enhancements to our product development team to help make LearnUpon even better for our existing and future customers.   Who We Are Looking For The person we are looking for: 3+ years testing experience in web app testing is a must. Understanding and experience with modern web development techniques and technologies, and modern web culture. A technology qualification is a plus (3rd-level  degree or equivalent). You will have excellent written and spoken English for communicating with the team. Someone who constantly strives for perfection and who will challenge your colleagues in our quest to create the world’s leading LMS platform. Applicants need to be comfortable working with others,in a team environment, and be confident to deliver on individual tasks. Must be open to receiving constructive criticism (feedback) and applying and integrating the feedback in an effort to improve their results. Enjoys the challenge of delivering a bug- free app! You have the potential and vision to lead and grow a strong QA team.   Considered as a bonus for the role: An elearning / LMS background with experience of industry standards and terminology such as SCORM, AICC, Tin Can, etc. while not necessary would be a bonus. Experience in web development and JavaScripting considered a major plus. Experience with automated testing using tools like Selenium WebDriver/IDE. Knowledge of Ruby/Rails, JQuery, SQL, *nix OS platforms, basic network protocols and/or API/Auth type mechanisms are considered a major plus.   Benefits Competitive salary and benefits 22 days annual leave Flexible working hours Exciting start-up environment with rapidly expanding superstar team Excellent career progression opportunities for the right candidate Team building events If you are interested in applying for this role please send your CV in confidence to jobs@learnupon.com. We look forward to hearing from you!   About LearnUpon LearnUpon is a new, exciting cloud based software company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Our mission is to change the way online learning is delivered by developing a Learning Management System (LMS) that companies love to use. We are addressing the common frustrations with traditional learning management systems by developing a platform that can be set-up in minutes, is easy and intuitive to use, looks amazing and doesn’t cost a fortune. Since launching LearnUpon in mid 2012 we are now one of the fastest growing LMS platforms in the world with new customers signing up for our platform every day. Our customers are based in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Spain, South Africa and of course here in Ireland.   LearnUpon is growing incredibly fast with established and increasing revenue. The company is a very open, collaborative environment where team and individual accomplishments are celebrated and encouraged. Our product is on the path to being very successful and the people who join now will be critical contributors to its ongoing adoption throughout the world.   Life at LearnUpon is fun and challenging. You will get to work with a great team in a Dublin city centre location. We are constantly making LearnUpon better for our customers and never adopt an "it will do" attitude when it comes to our platform. We love releasing new features which make our customers go "wow". All the team are given time-out each month to go off and think and come up with amazing new ideas which will make LearnUpon even better. Everyone contributes and everyone’s ideas are respected. We treat our staff like our customers, they are the most important elements in our business without whom we would just be another run of the mill, boring, clunky LMS. The post We’re hiring! Quality Assurance Tester appeared first on LearnUpon.

LearnUpon’s iOS app is now even better. Newly released version 1.0.7 includes support for more devices and screen sizes. The updated LMS app makes it easier for learners to complete courses, exams and surveys on their iPhone and iPad. Progress and completion data syncs with the LearnUpon learning management system in real time. Support for even more devices and screen sizes The updated LearnUpon LMS app is compatible with any iOS device using iOS v7 or later. This update to the LearnUpon app delivers the same UI across all devices but provides an improved experience for larger screens.     Enhanced app features The updated app provides an enhanced learning experience for all users. Learners and instructors now enjoy more control over their training. LearnUpon’s LMS app makes it easy for users to access courses wherever and whenever suits them best, not just at their desk. LearnUpon delivers content directly to the learner’s iOS device in a range of supported formats including documents, video and audio. Learners can access everything from courses and exams to messages instantly on their iPhone or iPad - track course progress, complete surveys, get results and post updates. Instructor and admin users can also use the mobile LMS app to respond to learners on the go.   Investing in mLearning This latest update marks LearnUpon‘s most recent investment in mobile learning technology. With mobile revolutionizing the training landscape, more and more learners now work mobile first. LearnUpon’s updated iOS app has been developed to give users more control over their learning, available in the time and place that suits them best. This flexibility gives instructors and learners the greatest chance of success, improving completion and performance rates.   Download the updated LearnUpon app now.   Don’t miss out on new features - subscribe to our blog. Read our tips on how to create engaging mobile learning courses. The post New update for LearnUpon iOS App appeared first on LearnUpon.

You expect an LMS to manage certain tasks for your association. Your learning management system must make delivering Continuing Professional Development to your members easy, most obviously. But that’s only the start of how hard a good LMS should work for you. If managing training is all you expect from your learning management system, your association could be missing out. The most important task for any LMS is to drive non-dues revenue for your association. Check out 8 top ways you can use your LMS to drive more revenue for your association or professional body. Bonus takeaway: Download a free PDF of the associations revenue checklist   1. Understand the potential of your LMS Not all LMSs are created equal. Some are more equipped to drive non-dues revenue than others. If you’re assessing how your learning management system can drive growth, start with the LMS itself. First check that your LMS offers ecommerce functionality. Ecommerce features are essential to using your learning management system to drive non-dues revenue for your association. By integrating with online stores like Shopify, you can use your LMS to sell courses online, opening up your catalog to new customer audiences, member and non-member. Your LMS should also be able to offer multiple price points depending on factors like membership status and discounts, coupons and other shopping cart rules.     2. Know the value of your course catalog Your course catalog is an asset. As an association, there is a delicate balance to strike between providing value and undermining the worth of your training offerings. Investing in an LMS provides the perfect opportunity to analyze the return on investment of all course components. When assessing the worth of training content, many associations make the mistake of working from the perspective of cost. A more effective strategy starts from the perspective of the member. Calculate the professional value of course components to each member segment. Assess which pieces of collateral and events you can afford to provide for free and which are best served by charging a fee. Advertise the CEU, CPD and formal credit relevance of your courses upfront. Many members will be most interested in the professional recognition a course offers. Be clear about the immediate and long-term value of each course to the learner’s career. The best LMSs allow you to brand your training portals so learners experience it as an extension of their membership.   3. Work your learning content  A good LMS will do more than manage your courses, it will multiply their value. Above all, using an online learning management system should free you from the practical constraints your training was previously limited by. Using your LMS to make offline assets available online can expand the usefulness of previously once-off events and seminars. Once your core courses can be accessed by members, think about other pieces and components you can repurpose in new ways. Many LearnUpon associations and professional bodies offer access to recordings of annual conference sessions at a reduced fee, for example.   4. Get the price right Pricing is one of the most important course elements to get right but all too often it’s treated as an afterthought. Price will be one of the most critical elements in determining your courses’ success. The most effective strategy we encounter makes pricing part of the planning process from the beginning. Calculate pricing from the perspective of the value your courses deliver to members. Member-centric pricing escapes a mistaken focus on cost that risks undervaluing the true worth of your courses. Although the cost of delivering courses online can be lower, for example, the true value to members is often higher. Many learners place greater value on the convenience and flexibility of blended offerings. Guide your decision-making with regular assessments of pricing models. Remember to factor in hidden costs associated with content development and distribution. Anything that requires the investment of time and resources should be reflected in your association’s learning and training pricing. Learn more about building an eLearning business model with this guide from the ASAE.     5. Scale your reach One of the main benefits of using an LMS is the freedom to move beyond current practices to realize the full potential courses have for your association. Time previously spent on admin can be invested in expanding the reach of courses to the widest possible audience. Your members are only the most immediate audience your course content can target. Features included with the best learning management systems can help your content to travel far beyond old practical limits. Begin by brainstorming additional audiences your courses are relevant to and list the most effective ways to reach them. Consider previous professional partners, from complementary associations or professional bodies, to past conference attendees. Reach out to affiliates in complementary domains and regions. Most LMSs include bulk messaging tools that can manage these communications for you.   6. Promotion, promotion, promotion Like price, promotion is often overlooked in supporting successful course offerings. Best practice dictates that you should spend almost as much time promoting courses as you spend creating them. Make a list of all channels you can use to build awareness about your courses. Adoption rates can shape decisions on how much promotion is required. If adoption is slow to begin with, offer an early-bird discount or create a refer-a-friend scheme. A good LMS supports promotional tactics like discounts and coupons you can use strategically. First check that your LMS includes ecommerce features with multiple pricing tiers and shopping cart rules. Use your LMS to reward actions that have additional value for you. Bundle complementary courses together and offer a bulk discount. Consider offering courses to non-members at higher price points. Make sure your calendar includes time to promote courses to maximize participation rates and revenue.     7. Read all about it Purchasing an LMS is a great time to evaluate how you communicate with members. Use your LMS’s bulk messaging features to flag upcoming courses in advance in any existing communications. Consider making sneak previews of course content available to boost participation rates. Samples and screenshots can help your learners to visualize the relevance of your courses for themselves. Include information about all upcoming courses in regular member communications.   8. Always be measuring How do you know if your learning and strategy is working? Measure everything. A good LMS will include robust reporting features that help you understand exactly how your members are using your LMS and areas for improvement. Tweak course offerings and promotion strategies slightly and monitor the impact on participation rates. Test the effects of small price increases at strategic intervals. Integrate all insights and learnings into future planning phases.   To find out more about how LearnUpon can help your association or professional body, sign-up for a free 30 day trial or schedule a demo with one of our account managers. The post 8 ways to use an LMS to boost your Association’s revenue appeared first on LearnUpon.

Following on from being named the Top LMS for SMBs earlier this year, we’re delighted to announce that LearnUpon is featured in the TrainingIndustry.com Learning Portals Watch List for 2015.   TrainingIndustry.com continuously monitor the training marketplace for the best providers and services. The 16 Learning Portal Companies featured in the watch list were selected on the following criteria: New and innovative service offerings Unique approach to delivering learning solutions Commitment to improving through learning technology Quality of initial clients   TrainingIndustry.com update this watch list yearly to help buyers of training services evaluate learning portal providers and to keep them up to date on the latest learning management technology.   To find out more about how LearnUpon can help your organization to create, deliver and manage your online courses, sign-up for a free 30 day trial or schedule a demo with one of our account managers. The post LearnUpon named in the 2015 TrainingIndustry.com Learning Portals Watch List appeared first on LearnUpon.

Dublin, Ireland September 22nd 2015 - LearnUpon today announced a new technology partnership with leading AMS provider Personify that will see them build an integration between Personify360 and LearnUpon’s learning management system. Personify will also use LearnUpon’s LMS to deliver their own customer training.   The new partnership follows the release of LearnUpon’s learning management system developed specifically for associations and professional bodies. The LearnUpon-Personify360 integration will allow members to seamlessly access their online learning through single sign-on while also providing them with access to their completed training and attained learning credits directly in Personify360.   LearnUpon developed an LMS specifically for associations in response to customer demand for features to track and manage a range of learning credits, including CPD, CME, CLE and CEU. The learning management system provider also responded to association requests for the ability to automatically award members credits and certificates on successful completion of online, classroom-based courses or for attending conferences.   Personify delivers the software, consulting, and cloud hosting solutions that help leading associations and other non-profit organizations optimize relationships to achieve sustainable success. Personify’s solutions help organizations better understand, track and manage the interests, behaviors and transactions of members to encourage loyalty, increase engagement and grow revenue. Personify360 is the leading AMS/CRM platform, supported by the association industry’s largest community of integrated third-party application and solution providers.   The partnership is the latest development in LearnUpon’s growing expertise in tailoring learning management solutions for associations and professional bodies. LearnUpon is used by some of the world’s leading associations and non-profit organizations, including NTMA, IIE, ATI, IICIE, the IDA and World Obesity Federation.   Commenting on the announcement Personify’s VP of Product Marketing and Management, Andre Pavlovic, said: "The team at LearnUpon has delivered a robust learning management solution that reduces costs and complexity for our customers. Their ability to provide 24/7 customer support and commitment to building a standard, off-the-shelf integration to Personify360 shows dedication to Personify users. We are excited to welcome them to the Personify Solution Partner Program."   LearnUpon’s CEO, Brendan Noud, commented: "We are delighted to announce our partnership with Personify. Having a tight integration between LearnUpon and Personify360 will be of great value to associations and professional bodies looking to use both platforms. We have found working with the Personify team to be a great experience, they have a clear understanding and passion for the needs of customers in this sector."   Interested in how LearnUpon could help you to create, deliver and manage online courses? Sign-up for your free 30 day trial or schedule a demo with one of our account managers. The post LearnUpon partners with Personify to offer better online training appeared first on LearnUpon.

  LearnUpon will be exhibiting at Booth #325 as part of DevLearn 2015 Conference & Expo, The eLearning Guild’s largest annual event. DevLearn is the most cutting-edge training and learning event in North America, featuring the largest exposition focused exclusively on learning technologies. DevLearn 2015 will be held from September 30 to October 2, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.   Since exhibiting at The eLearning Guild’s Learning Solutions Conference & Expo in March, we’ve launched an iOS app, introduced Tin Can support, won three SME awards one of which went to our amazing Customer Support team, and we’ve also been featured in TrainingIndustry.com’s Top 20 Learning Portal Companies Watch List for 2015. We now have a customer base of over 400 organizations worldwide, with 150 of these new customers choosing LearnUpon as their LMS in the last 6 months alone.   We are very excited to exhibit at DevLearn for the first time as it provides us with a great opportunity to meet some of our customers and share what LearnUpon has to offer with those looking to implement a new LMS. Brendan, Caoimhín and Phily from the LearnUpon team will be on hand to demonstrate all of LearnUpon’s latest features to attendees who visit Booth #325.   To get a demo of LearnUpon’s learning management system visit Booth #325 from 9.30am to 6.30pm on September, 30 and 9.30am to 3.00pm on October, 1. The post LearnUpon exhibiting at DevLearn for the first time appeared first on LearnUpon.

Engaged members are one of your association’s most valuable assets. Most associations understand that engagement is essential for member retention. Disinterested members are less likely to renew once subscription time comes around again. But engaged members can also help your association to grow, most obviously through word-of-mouth and personal recommendations. Associations can be less aware of online learning as a powerful tool that can boost member engagement from that critical first day of sign-up. Try these simple but effective tips to ensure your online training programs are engaging members all year round.   Engaged members are active members, aware of your association’s investment in their professional development. But without a good reason to stay in touch, it can be difficult to find a reason to stay top of your members’ minds. Online learning transmits one of the clearest signals of your interest in member development. It provides a real value add to learners and gives your association a valid reason to stay in regular contact throughout the cycle. Because members are usually at their most engaged in the early days of membership, that makes it the ideal time to start educating them about the catalog of learning and training offerings they won’t want to miss.   Day 1: Engage members from the day they join Engagement must begin with membership. It’s a lot more difficult to win back the lost attention and interest of association members than to create and maintain it from the beginning. On the day they join your association, members have made a psychological investment and are ready to be impressed by the value of your learning and training offerings. But that process shouldn’t start with sign-up. You will need to have already established a clear program for how and when to introduce members to their new continuing professional development options. If you have invested in a learning management system, you are already a few steps ahead. A good LMS will include a suite of tools you can use to keep learners engaged for the lifetime of their membership. Start by integrating online learning into your onboarding and induction processes. Include information about learning and training programs in introductory documents and communications. Create consistency between offline materials, your association website and learning management system. By branding your LMS and having it tightly integrated with your Association Management System (AMS), you help members to experience it as an extension of your association that they can easily access whenever they want.   Day 2: Reach out to members across channels It isn’t enough to present members with URLS for your website and learning management system and expect them to use them. Give them a good reason to visit. Informing members about the full range of relevant online and training programs provides a great reason to reach out at first and check in later. By making new members aware of all your online channels, you make it easier for them to stay on top of deadlines and due dates. Some associations avoid using social media to engage members as they fear they won’t have sufficient content to keep communication consistent. But the nature and structure of online training provides a great reason for regularly communicating helpful information that has real value for learners.   Day 3: Share engaging learning and training resources Members look to associations for thought leadership. One simple way to communicate value in the early stages of membership is to share access to a library of resources that are updated regularly. Instead of sending files, which can be risky, time-consuming and impractical, upload resources to a shared location, like your LMS. By storing resources in a shared location, you encourage new members to visit your website, activate their credentials and introduce themselves to your range of industry expertise. You also create a library of valuable resources you can use to engage members throughout the year. Excellent searching capabilities and the ability to browse by different categories, such as topics and certification programs, will make it easy for members to quickly find the content of most interest to them.     Day 5: Enroll new members early When members enroll in an online learning or training program, they are more likely to engage with your association for the lifetime of their membership. Once you have made new members aware of your website and learning management system, email them a link to a catalog where they can browse relevant courses. Start dates and deadlines create a natural sense of urgency that you can reference to drive action and engagement in those crucial first months of membership. Schedule course start dates throughout the year. A regular calendar gives your courses the best chance of engaging new members and reminding lapsing members of the tangible value your association provides when the time comes to renew.   Day 7: Engaging content engages association members Keeping learners engaged is a lot easier if your learning and training content is itself engaging. Courses in themselves won’t engage members. Clear and informative content is essential to retaining the interest of your audiences. Course content should be tailored to member segments in your association. Engaging content also needs to be interactive and available in a range of media types, including visual and video, to suit different styles of learners. You might want to consider using an authoring tool like Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, Elucidat or iSpringPro to build some interactive content which can be imported to your LMS in SCORM or Tin Can format.   Day 10: Create a collaborative learning community One of the most successful methods for engaging learners is to help them to communicate and collaborate with each other. Collaborative learning is truly engaged. Members are more likely to value their continuing professional development and online learning if they can see their peers also value it. Members frequently mention community when asked about what they value most from their association. Open up your online and social profiles to facilitate learner discussion. Forums can help circulate expertise through your association by allowing members to answer each others’ questions and share their real-life experiences and war stories.   Day 30: Measure the engagement of your online learning Even if you have done an amazing job engaging new members, you will still need to make a consistent effort to engage them throughout the year. A good place to start is by measuring the engagement rates of recent courses and training programs. Assess enrollment and completion rates as a ratio of total membership. Send a survey after the completion of course components and tweak your offerings accordingly. At an individual level, retarget courses to members yet to complete them. You can use the reporting features in your LMS to single out members most in need of re-engagement and most in risk of lapsing.   Day 45: Engage association advocates Take note of your biggest fans and incentivize them to share their experiences. Look out for bloggers, thought leaders and influencers in your community who can be incentivized to share their positive experiences online. Advocates might deserve free membership, depending on how many new sign-ups they refer, or consider awarding a prize or gift voucher for the most popular contributor to your forum each month. Always offer an incentive to your most passionate advocates and influencers so they remember you appreciate their engagement.   Day 60: Re-engage members Use the findings from learning and training reports to develop a re-engagement strategy for members most likely to lapse. If a member has enrolled in a course but not completed it, reach out and learn why. Provide members with alternative ways of completing courses if your current structure isn’t convenient. Repurpose course content for mobile for members who find desktop learning inconvenient, for example. When designing learning and training programs, build in communications to coincide with key dates such as deadlines and assessments. Keeping members informed also gives you a reason to drive them to engage with your website and learning management system so your association stays top of mind.   Day 90: Get inspired by other associations Inspiration from industry peers will help you to stay up-to-date with the latest ways to engage your members. The ASAE has a great range of resources in which experts from a huge range of associations share ideas about how to keep members actively involved after sign up. Maintain a folder of ideas and tips to implement when the time comes to reassess your association offerings.   Day 180: Transform individual courses into designations Learning paths provide a great opportunity to structure courses so that they encourage members to stay with and renew membership. Instead of viewing continuing professional development credits as individual units, structure complementary courses into learning paths, designations or formal certification programmes that will give your members some longer term goals to work towards as part of their continuing professional development.   Day 330: Structure courses strategically Support the good work you have done throughout the year with an extra push a month before membership comes up for renewal. This is the time to communicate news about updated offerings and their relevance to changes in your industry. Use learnings from reports about member behavior to create targeted and personalized messages most likely to entice your most valuable member segments at the point of renewal.   Engaged members are ambassadors for your association who are more likely to stay with you for the long haul. Investment in online learning is a win-win that creates more effective members who are passionately engaged with their association.   Learn more about how LearnUpon can engage your association members. Sign-up for a free 30 day trial or schedule a demo with one of our account managers. The post How to engage association members with online learning appeared first on LearnUpon.

If you use Articulate Storyline 2 and want to track results for your learners via the Tin Can API (xAPI), you need to know how to convert your courses to a Tin Can format. In this step-by-step tutorial, we guide you through everything you need to do to publish your course from Articulate Storyline 2 to an xAPI course format.   Before you start Confirm that Tin Can support is available with your LMS. Check that you are using the latest version of Articulate Storyline 2.   How it works Once your course has been created, click the "Publish" button on the Articulate Storyline ribbon as shown in the below screenshot.     Publish screen Select "LMS" from the menu on the left-hand side of the publish screen as shown in the screenshot below. Give your project a "Title" and "Description". Click the ellipses to the right of the "Folder" field to select the location where your project will be saved.    Publishing for HTML5 and mobile devices Check the box beside "Include HTML5 output" so that your content will work on mobile devices that do not support Flash. For example iPads do not support flash, so exporting to HTML5 will ensure that mobile learners can access your courses without experiencing issues downloading flash plugins. Check the box beside "Use Articulate Mobile Player for iOS or Android" if you would like to use Articulate’s mobile player. The difference here is that your course will be launched in the Articulate mobile app rather than from within you LMS. The learner will be prompted to download the Articulate mobile app when they try to access your course. ​"Allow downloading for offline viewing" can remain unchecked as you choose. Exporting your course to HTML5 does not mean that your course will be automatically usable on a mobile device. Due consideration should be given to your course design. It is particularly important to consider the course’s responsiveness and ability to adapt to various mobile device resolutions and screen sizes. Exporting to Tin Can and/or HTML5 does not automatically do this for you. Ask your course designer to review your course’s mobile responsiveness as required.   Output Options Select "Tin Can" from the "LMS" drop-down menu under  "Output Options". ​Click "Reporting and Tracking" to proceed to the next step.     Reporting and Tracking Options screen This screen presents settings that decide when the program will tell your LMS that the learner has completed the course. Click the "Tracking" tab shown in the below screenshot to specify how you would like to track a user’s progress. These options define the point at which a user is deemed to have completed the course. The first option measures completion by the number of slides a learner has viewed. By choosing the "Track using number of slides viewed" option, you can select any given number of slides that must be viewed before the course is deemed complete. In our screenshot example, we set the option so that 29 out of 29 slides must be viewed before the course is considered complete.   If your course contains a quiz, you can select the second option on the below screenshot. By choosing the "Track using quiz result" option, the course will be marked complete once the learner reaches the results slide for the quiz.   Click OK when you have selected your preferred option to return to the Publish screen   Publishing your course to the Tin Can API format Click the "Publish" button in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen to finish publishing your course. Once your course is published, you need to store it as a zip file so it can be uploaded to LearnUpon or another learning management system. Click the "Zip" symbol shown on the below screenshot to select the location where you would like to save your file. Click "Save" and "Close".     And that’s it, you’re done! Your course can now use Tin Can API to track results for learners with your LMS of choice.   Learn more about LearnUpon’s full range of SCORM and Tin Can supported features. Sign-up for a free 30 day trial or schedule a demo with one of our account managers.   The post How to publish to Tin Can API with Articulate Storyline 2 appeared first on LearnUpon.

Choosing between an open source and cloud-based learning management system is one of the most important eLearning decisions many organizations face. In LearnUpon, we frequently hear from businesses that chose the open source Moodle solution as their first LMS, only to quickly find that it wasn’t the right fit. Moodle can be the right eLearning solution in some specific learning and training environments. But despite its low cost and flexibility, Moodle is not the best choice of LMS for every organization. Moodle’s limitations can even make it a potentially costly choice for businesses and associations with conflicting needs and requirements. If you are thinking about switching from Moodle to a commercial LMS like LearnUpon, this analysis of the pros and cons of both options will help you reach a fully informed selection.   Moodle - or Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment - is mostly found in education settings, used by thousands of schools, colleges and universities to deliver courses to students. Decision makers from commercial organizations are often attracted to Moodle when they hear that it’s free (kind of) and can be endlessly customized (if you have the resources). But with great benefits come some serious cons that can prove punishing in less than ideal environments. Organizations need to be skeptical of the suitability of a "free" learning platform and aware of the real costs accrued by the resources required to maintain, update and support a truly effective learning management system.   If you have experienced these difficulties and are considering switching from Moodle, there are a handful of crucial factors you need to consider. By remaining focused on the specific nature of your organization’s learning and training needs, you will be fully equipped to make the best decision for you and your learners.   Moodle v. LearnUpon: make the right choice for your organization Requirement Moodle LearnUpon Do you have a budget for an LMS?  No  Yes Does your team include a Moodle expert?  Yes  No Do you have a dedicated Moodle resource?  Yes  No Would you benefit from quick and easy set up?  No  Yes Could you use free 24/7 technical support?  No  Yes Do you want a simple interface admins and learners enjoy using?  No  Yes Are your admins and learners highly technical?  Yes  No Do you want to constantly customize your LMS?  Yes  No Do you need to easily manage groups of users and learners?  No  Yes 20 organizations moved from Moodle to LearnUpon after answering these questions.   Brian Cahill, CEO at Sound Training Online says: Being an online learning provider, LearnUpon has been invaluable in allowing our business to get up and running. From day one, LearnUpon has provided both the technical and personal support that has enabled us to get to where we are today, and will continue to help us to grow in the future.   Moodle might be a good learning solution for your organization if: You have no budget to purchase an LMS. Moodle’s apparent inexpensiveness is the main driver of its popularity. For those without an eLearning budget, an open source solution like Moodle can be the only option. But if your organization does have a budget, remember to factor in the considerable hidden costs that quickly add up when your team must spend hours installing, configuring and maintaining open source software. Remember that you will need to purchase servers to host Moodle to ensure the platform can handle content for all of your learners. With a SaaS solution like LearnUpon, you don’t need to worry about technical specifications. Your LMS provider will manage that for you. You already have a large in-house IT team that includes a dedicated resource with Moodle expertise. Even Moodle’s advocates admit that the learning platform is not for the faint-hearted. Although Moodle is readily available for free download, someone must still be available to install, configure, maintain and update the platform. Because Moodle is not a commercial product, you can’t expect to turn the key on an intuitive feature set that’s ready to use. While the breadth of customization options is attractive to some organizations, it also generates a lot of superfluous design choices that must be made and implemented by your team. The freedom to fully customize an LMS comes at a cost. You lose the benefit of a team of professional experts who have worked to refine features over multiple iterations and have already tested the most user-friendly design choices for you. You do not need technical support. Lack of support is a universally acknowledged Moodle limitation. Your in-house team will need to own all Moodle-related work, from designing the platform at the highest level to managing all technical issues, breakages and bugs. All future updates to and security patches for the platform must also be managed and implemented by your team. Every time a new version of Moodle is released, all courses, modules and components must be individually updated to remain compatible. You should only confirm that Moodle is the right option for you if you are comfortable proceeding without technical support. You require a lot of customization. Freedom is one of Moodle’s most-loved features. If your needs are complex and unpredictable, an open source solution like Moodle is probably the best option. You will have access to an extensive library of free plugins that allow you to tailor the interface in almost any way you like. But if that sounds attractive, remember that customization can be time-consuming and must be properly resourced. You manage sophisticated users and learners with good technical skills. Even Moodle’s most passionate advocates admit that the interface is not easy to use. This technical difficulty makes Moodle a poor choice for businesses and associations charged with delivering courses to a range of learners of varying backgrounds and skill-levels. One serious risk of selecting an open source option like Moodle is that learners become distracted from completing their courses by the complexity of the LMS itself, jeopardizing results and completion rates. Reporting does not matter. Reporting is widely acknowledged as a major Moodle weakness. You should only select Moodle if you are happy to proceed with the most limited of reporting options that give you a partial sense of user, course and system performance.   LearnUpon is the best fit for your organization if: You have a budget to invest in a learning management system. If your organization has an assigned budget for learning and training, purchasing a commercial LMS is a wise move. By spending some of your budget on an LMS, you benefit from the security of a commercial platform that includes professional development, service and support. Not all learning management systems are expensive either. You should find one that fits your budget, however limited. Pricing for LearnUpon starts at $149 per month, for example. You would like the reassurance of technical support. As with any software installation, there are a number of technical issues that can arise during the setup and operation of a learning management system. With an open source solution like Moodle, your team is left to resolve these alone. A good commercial LMS provider, on the other hand, should include support in their packages. If you select LearnUpon, for example, you can rely on free 24/7 technical support as standard. You need quick and simple set up. A commercial LMS is a product that is designed to be easy to set up and use. Many of the basic decisions you face when you select an open source solution like Moodle will already have been tried and tested for you. With a commercial LMS, a full set of features will be ready to use as soon as you purchase, requiring no additional configuration or customization. LearnUpon customers are up and running delivering courses minutes after they purchase, for example. You need a learning management system that’s easy to use. A good commercial LMS provider will have invested significant resources in researching and developing features that make delivering and completing courses easy for users, admins and learners. Time will have been spent researching and developing UX and UI, so that the interface is as intuitive and attractive as possible. Open source solutions like Moodle tend to be more difficult to navigate, lacking the resources to invest in impactful research and development processes. You need robust reporting features. Most commercial LMS providers should understand the nature of your learning and training environment. As a business, they should know that measurement is essential to the successful provision of eLearning and provide a full set of reporting features that allow you to measure and improve the effectiveness of all of your courses.   Neither an open source nor a commercial learning management system is the right fit for every learning and training environment. If you are still struggling to choose, think about where most of your needs fit with the strengths and weaknesses outlined above. A clear understanding of your requirements will make the decision easier for you.   Learn more about why 20 customers moved from Moodle to LearnUpon. Sign-up for a free 30 day trial or schedule a demo with one of our account managers.   The post Moodle vs. LearnUpon LMS - How to choose? appeared first on LearnUpon.